Ga. Tech to offer online master of science degree at under $7K

The Georgia Institute of Technology will offer an online two-year master's degree in computer science at a cost of less than $7,000, the school says.

Georgia Tech says the program is the first professional Online Master of Science degree in computer science (OMS CS) that can be earned completely through the "massive online" format.

The program will start in January 2014. The degree will be offered in collaboration with online education leader Udacity Inc. and AT&T (NYSE: T), the school said.

The announcement marks another significant step toward using online technology to deflate the spiraling cost of higher education, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Charles Isbell, Sr. Associate Dean for the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, told the WSJ the quality of the online technology has only recently improved to where the school believes it can scale its lectures and course work for thousands of students and still maintain quality.

Isbell said Georgia Tech has considered offering a program for several years, but began to seriously think about it in summer 2012 when Udacity embedded technology into their courseware to enable students to work on software problems during lectures.

Isbell estimates Georgia Tech will have to hire one full-time teacher for every 100 online students as opposed to one full-time teacher for every 10 or 20 students who study on campus.

The WSJ notes there is a significant shortage of computer scientists in the U.S. Through 2018, the demand for computer software engineers is projected to increase by 34 percent.

Georgia Tech said in a statement that while courses related to the OMS CS will be available free on the Udacity site, only students granted admission to Georgia Tech will receive credit. Degree-seeking students will pay tuition based either on individual courses or the entire degree program. Georgia Tech and Udacity will create a separate credential for students who successfully complete courses but do not qualify for full graduate standing, the statement said.

According to the WSJ, degree-seeking students will need a bachelor's degree or the work equivalent, and must pass the first two classes with a B grade or better. The entire course will cost less than $7,000—less than a quarter of the normal expense, the paper adds.